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Hi, I am your webmistress Tiffany. I'm a millennial female from Florida. I'm a wannabe writer and artist, who like blogging, and anything DYI. Favorite fruit is lemon, loves veggie sushi, and shipping. I obsess over anything and dislike playground drama. If you need to contact me do so here. This site has been online since May, 18 2011, and this is the tenth version.

Working with Screencaps

Working with ScreencapsPhotoshop CS6 || Can be Translatable || Medium

This guide uses photoshop but similar results can be obtained with gimp and paintshoppro. This is not meant to be a step by step (most tutorials aren’t) but working with different screencaps with yield different results. This is why I will be showing you on multiple screencaps. This is a general guide, so step by step will suit most images, make sure to apply the technique and idea of the guide to your screencaps. That doesn’t mean you can’t use the steps step by step if you choose to.

First Screencap

I normally always start with a levels layer, I like this because it can make it as subtle or obvious as you want it to be, and I find the result more easy to balance.
Levels layer
RGB: input 0|1.00|136
Red: input 0|1.09|136 output 9|255
Green: 0|0.96|255 output 3|255
Blue: 14|1.00|255 output 2|246
Another level layers
RGB: input 10|1.00|230
At this point, it is now a workable image but it is not where I want it to be, I feel like it is too red and too blue in different ways, and not balanced enough. This is where hue/saturation layers come in.
Hue/Saturation layer
+7 hue
Another hue/saturation layer
master +7 hue
yellows +7 saturation
greens -100 saturation
cyans -117 hue | -65 saturation
blue -100 saturation
*This will look weird, but it won’t soon.
On the mask part of the layer hide, it everywhere expect for on the hair of Luna (blonde)
and place it on 50%
Painting over parts of the image on new raster layers is also quite useful, the only issue with this is that with the part you painted over it can make it very flat looking. So, that is something to keep in mind.
Color over Luna’s hair with #BFAA95 and change it to hue 50%
Duplicate and change it to color 50%
then duplicate it again, desaturate it, and change it to saturation 50%
Because the inside of Luna’s eyes are blue when they aren’t supposed to be, so this is where we correct that.
Hue/Saturation layer
Cyan|Blue -100 saturation
Then on the mask hide everything except the eyes
On a new raster layer paint over the white of the eyes with a skin color. I know that sounds weird, but right now the eyes look gray, and it doesn’t look natural. This will make it look natural.
place on color 40%
On a new raster layer paint over the eye color with any (natural)color you want. I choose #ODC6DE, because I thought that it look look better brighter, the actress natural eye color is blue, and the character’s is described as silver/blue/gray. So, really it can be whatever you want.
place on softlight 50%
On a new raster layer paint over the white of the eyes and place it on softlight 50%
I did this because the eyes looked too dark.
At this point, I still felt like the skin was still a bit too pink-ish, and not as balanced as I wanted it to be. Curves layers is a good way to add to the depth to the image.
Curves layer
RGB: 160|174
Red: 176|167
Green: 137|141
Blue: 134|137
then place on 50%
At this point, it still wasn’t where I wanted it to be, but if your screenshot is where you want to be you can stop at any time.
Channel mixer layer
Red: +154|-63|0
Green: -50|+154|0
Blue: -50|+66|+86
place on 20%
Vibrance layer
+50 vibrance | +20 saturation
Selective color layer
Red: -17|+6|+38|0
Yellow: +45|-48|-42|0
Green: 0|0|-100|0
Neutral: -7|+8|+15|0
Black: 0|0|0|+100
Done
*If you remove the vibrance and selective color layers the tutorial is still doable, and you can obtain similar results with saturation and any adjustment layers depending on the screencap.

Second Screencap

Same with the last screencap I am starting with a levels layer, the difficulty with this screencap is that it doesn’t have much color, to begin with. So, that will be corrected.
Levels layer
RGB: 0|1.00|141
Red: 0|1.02|214
Green: 6|1.09|255
Blue: 7|1.00|231
Levels layer
RGB: 0|1.00|233
Red: 7|1.00|236
Blue: 9|1.00|246
As you can see it gave the screencap some color but it’s still pretty flat, this is where the next two adjustment layers come into play.
Hue/Saturation layer
Master: +30 saturation
Red: -6 hue
Yellow: -50 saturation
Green: -26 hue | +18 saturation
Cyan: +20 saturation
Channel mixer layer
Red: +137|-31|0
Green: -43|+149|0
Blue: -43|+53|+91
It’s still lacking color, and places where it should have color there isn’t any, so it’s time to paint color on.
New raster layer, and paint over the hand, it’s completely gray and dark here, using #FFC0AB and place on softlight.
On a new raster layer paint over the face with #FFC0AB and place on softlight 30%
On a new raster layer paint over the gray parts of the face with #D9AB8F and place on color 50%
On a new raster layer paint over the green part of the robes with #329735 and place softlight 30%
On a new raster layer paint over the eyes with the color white and place it on color 50%
Now duplicate that layer and place it on color 100% and erase it from the white of the eyes.
And now we will duplicate original eye layer again and drag to the top place it on softlight 30% and erase it from the black part/iris.
The next part is completely optional, but I just wanted to add more color to the screencap.
Add a new raster layer and paint over what looks like the floor with #6CB7DA and place on softlight 50%
The duplicate it and place it one multiply 50%
This is another optional step, but in this screencap there is some grainy looking green in the background that would look higher quality if it was gone.
Add a new raster layer and paint over that with white and place it on color.
At this point, it still looked too pink and orange-ish and the balance wasn’t where I wanted it. I also felt like it still looked too flat.
Levels layer
RGB: 0|1.00|242
Red: 0|0.90|255
Green: 0|0.95|255
Blue: 7|0.93|248
Vibrance layer
+43 vibrance
Channel mixer layer
Reds: +139|-55|0
Green: -20|+126|0
Blue: -48|+58|+100
and place on 30%
Selective color layer
Reds: +52|0|+17|0
Yellows: +35|0|-16|0
Greens: 0|+40|+54|0
Neutral: -11|0|-6|0
Blacks: 0|0|0|+18
Done
*If you remove the vibrance and selective color layers the tutorial is still doable, and you can obtain similar results with saturation and any adjustment layers depending on the screencap.

Third Screencap

This screencap is a lot more forgiving than the last two, it is mostly just flat, hazy, and dark. So, it will be a lot easier to fix.
I start again with a level layers, I just feel like it normally always helps set the prepping of the screencap.
Levels layer
RGB: 0|1.00|165
Red: 14|1.00|221
Green: 3|1.00|246
Blue: 13|1.00|243
Levels layer
RGB: input 6|1.00|226
Red: input 0|1.00|207
Green: input 0|1.00|255 | output 0|249
Blue: input 0|1.00|255 | output 0|238
At this point, it looks too red, but I did this on purpose because it would be easier to add in the color and then correct it, then just to correct it. Which is weird because it doesn’t sound like it would be.
Channel mixer layer
Red: +144|-61|0
Green: -15|+134|0
Blue: -13|+13|+100
This corrected some of it, but not all of it. That is okay because we are not done yet.
Hue/Saturation layer
Master: +6 hue
Reds: -10 saturation
This is close but it still needs a bit of adjustment, which will happen in the final adjustment layer next.
Selective color layer
Reds: +100|0|+17|0
Yellows: -100|0|+100|0
Magentas: -100|+100|-57|0
Whites: -100|0|0|-100
Neutrals: -23|0|0|-17
Blacks: 0|0|0|+17
Done
*If you remove the selective color layer the tutorial is still doable, and you can obtain similar results with some adjustment layers depending on the screencap.

Fourth Screencap

This screencap is very dull, dark, and flat, we want to bring out the color, brightness, and give it some depth.
Starting with a levels layer
RGB: 0|1.00|79
Red: 0|1.00|238
Green: 2|1.00|255
Blue: 1|1.00|249
Another levels layer
RGB: 0|1.13|199
Red: 5|1.00|247
Green: 7|1.00|243
Blue: 8|1.00|226
Hue/Saturation layer
Master: +2 hue
Red: -12 saturation
Add a new raster layer and paint over the background with a color that will suit the rest of the screencap, I choose #A3865B and place it on softlight
Hue/Saturation layer
Green/Blue: -100 saturation
^This makes very little difference but it adds to the screencap.
Selective color layer
Reds: -100|+3|+45|0
Yellows: +41|0|-9|0
Greens: +100|+100|-100}0
Whites: 0|0|0}-38
Neutrals: -12|+2|-1|0
Blacks: 0|0|0|+2
and place on 50%
Add a new layer and paint over the hair use #FF6500, and place on softlight 20%
Add a new layer and paint over the white of the eyes with white and place on softlight.
then duplicate that and place it on color 50%
Add a new layer and paint over the the lips with a lip color, I used FF00E4 and place it on softlight 10%.
*in the screenshot the look was very natural the point I wanted was to make it look like she had lips, but you can make it more obvious if you want it to.
Add a new layer and paint over the highlights on the skin with a light blue, blur it a bit and place it on color 10%
Add a new layer and paint over the shadows on the skin with a light green, blur it a bit and place it on color 5%
*this was to give the skin more depth, and so that it won’t look as flat or unnatural.
Vibrance layer
Vibrance +41
Saturation +4
Now I wanted to add more color in the screencap, so where it looked like you could see the window through the curtains in the screencap I placed light blue with the paint brush in those areas and then blurred it. Then placed it on color 50%.
*If you remove the vibrance and selective color layers the tutorial is still doable, and you can obtain similar results with saturation and any adjustment layers depending on the screencap.
doneimage

Fifth Screencap

This screencap is just mostly green and darkish, and it’s fairly a simple one to work with. This time I am actually starting this one differently, with a color balance layer, but that is what the levels layer builds upon.
Color balance layer
+19|-29|-3
Levels layer
RGB: 0|1.29|158
Reds: 3|1.00|241
Green: 3|1.10|255
Blue: 12|0.97|241
Channel mixer layer
Red: +122|-25|0
Green: -13|+112|0
Blue: +8|+2|+100
Hue/Saturation layer
master +10 hue
Selective color layer
Reds: -49|0|+27|0
Yellows: -23|0|-25|0
Whites: 0|+100|-100|0
Neutral: +8|+4|+10|0
Blacks: 0|0|0|+12
Done
*If you remove the selective color layer the tutorial is still doable, and you can obtain similar results with some adjustment layers depending on the screencap.

Sixth Screencap

This screencap is a dark one, but all the natural colors are there, so it will be all about bringing out those colors and enchanting them.
Levels layer
RBG: 0|1.13|100
At this point the colors are mostly there, now it’s about making the colors more visible, making it higher quality, and still making it look brighter because it’s still too dark and dull in some places.
Selective color layer
Reds: -56|0|+17|0
Yellows: -33|-44|+50|0
Blues: +32|+100|+100|+100
Whites: 0|0|0|-39
Neutrals: -10|-9|+2|-5
Blacks: 0|0|0|+3
This corrects a lot of the colors and helps brighten up the screencaps.
Hue/Saturation layer
Master: -5 hue
Now add a new raster layer and paint over the shadows on the face and neck with #E1B6A7 place on softlight 50%
Now we will be working on the hair, right now it is out of balance and uneven.
Now add a new raster layer and paint over the hair with #794518 and place on softlight
Now add a new raster layer and paint over the hair shadows on the right with #040200 and place on softlight
Now add a new raster layer and paint over the half of the hair on the right with #7D6252 and place on color 40%
Now add a new raster layer and paint over the half of the hair on the right with #00FF00 and place it on softlight 10%
The jacket she is wearing looks low quality so paint over it on a new raster layer with the color black and place it on softlight
Then duplicate it and place it on color.
Paint over the background on a new raster layer, I used bright versions of the colors that was already there and placed it on softlight 20%
Paint over the white of the eyes and the white part of the shirt on a new raster layer with the color white and place it on softlight 50%
duplicate that and place it on color 50%
Copy merge and paste as new layer, and erase it from the model, and place it on multiply 50%
Color balance layer
-11|0|+11
Done
*If you remove the selective color layer the tutorial is still doable, and you can obtain similar results with some adjustment layers depending on the screencap.